Adjustable pushbutton magnet switch



March 12, 1968 H. EHRENBERG 3,373,386

ADJUSTABLE PUSHBUTTON MAGNET SWITCH Filed Jan. 28, 1966 INVENTOR.

Madam BY W United States Patent s 4 Claims. oi. 335-205 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A push-button switch comprising a first and second magnet means for attracting one another, a push button ha ving the first magnet means disposed at one end thereof, and an operating member movably disposed adjacent the push button and having the second magnet means thereon adjacent the first magnet means. Two fixed contacts spaced from each other, are provided as well as a contact member coupled to the operating member for movement therewith between the two fixed contacts, respectively, and a spring means for urging the operating member in a direction opposite to the direction in which the operating member is urged by the first and second magnet means for causing the contact member to engage one of the two fixed contacts. The first and second magnet means are of sufficient magnetic force to cause the operating member to move toward the push button against the force of the spring means so that the contact member engages the other of the two fixed contacts when the push button is moved toward the operating member, and a means is provided for adjusting the spring means to vary the force of the latter against the operating lever to thereby change the switching time of the push button switch.

The present invention relates to a push button switch, in general, and to an adjustable push button permanent magnet switch, in particular.

A push button switch, which is adapted for electrical connections, can be formed as a closing switch, opening switch and alternator.

While in known switches, the switching force is created by pre-tensioning of a spring for each connection, the switching force is obtained in accordance with the present invention from a permanent magnet.

Furthermore, in the known switches, the tensioning force of the switch spring is not variably controllable. On the other hand, in accordance with the present invention, the switching procedure is controllable.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a push button switch, wherein a button head carries on the inside of the switch a permanent magnet, the magnetic field of which pulls in the controllable pressed-in position of the button, an operating lever cooperating with an abutment member and charged with an adjustable compression spring and coupled with a contact lever.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a push button switch in which the operating lever, equipped with an iron plate below the permanent magnet, is swingable about an axis and is engaged by the adjustable spring above the coupling member, the other end of the compression spring supports itself on an adjustable screw bolt mounted in the housing. By this arrangement, a very simple structure is obtained which is also easily adjustable.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section of an alternating switch 3,373,386 Patented Mar. 12, 1968 indicating the respective contact positions, as well as the open position; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the same switch, however, in a closed position.

Referring now to the drawing, the push button switch comprises a switch housing 17 in which contacts 1,2 and 5 are disposed. The contact carrier 5 carries a pivotal contact lever 3, which performs a pendulum movement between the contacts 1 and 2 about its pivot point 4. An operating lever 6, suspended about an axle 7 and equipped with an iron plate 12, is connected with the contact lever 3 by means of a coupling member 8. A compression spring 10, which is adjustable by means of a screw bolt 9, engages the operating lever 6 and pushes the contact lever 3 of the carrier 5 into engagement with contact 1 by means of the coupling member 8.

A button 14, which is equipped with a permanent magnet 13, is maintained in its original position (FIG. 1) by means of a spring 15, the force of which is controllable by a button head 16. If the button is pushed by means of the button head 16 in direction of the arrow, indicated in FIG. 1, the permanent magnet 13 reaches with its effective range the iron plate 12, and attracts the latter, and, thereby, the contact lever 3 by means of the coupling member 8, is moved in the direction towards the contact 2. The permanent magnet 13 and the iron plate 12 constitute a first and second magnet means, respectively. An abutment 11 limits the lifting of the lever 6, which remains in this position until the button 14 is released and returns in the direction of the arrow, shown in FIG. 2. By releasing the button, the magnet 13 becomes released from. the iron plate 12 due to the restraining action of the abutment member 11 freeing the lever 6, so that the latter is pushed back by the spring 10 into the position disclosed in FIG. 1.

The distance between the magnet 13 and the iron plate 12, which is required in order to attract the lever 6, is controllable by the screw bolt 9. The more the spring 10 is tensioned, the deeper must the button 14 be pressed, in order to attract the lever 6 and vice versa. By change of the force of the spring 15 by means of the button head 16 and, thus, change of the pressure depth in combination with the variation possibility of the force of the spring 10 in relation to the magnetic force, a plurality of switches can be coordinated relative to each other.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A push button switch comprising a first and second magnet means for attracting one another,

a push button having said first magnet means disposed at one end thereof,

an operating member unovably disposed adjacent said push button and having said second magnet means thereon adjacent said first magnet means,

two fixed contacts spaced from each other,

a contact member coupled to said operating member for movement therewith between said two fixed contacts, respectively,

spring means for urging said operating member in a direction opposite to the direction in which said operating member is urged by said first and second magnet means for causing said contact member to engage one of said two fixed contacts,

said first and second magnet means of sufiicient magnetic force to cause said operating member to move toward said push button against the force of said spring means so that said contact member engages said other of said two fixed contacts when said push button is moved toward said operating member, and means for adjusting said spring means to vary the force of the latter against said operating lever to thereby change the switching time of said push button switch. 2. The push button switch, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said operating member is a lever pivotally mounted at one end remote from said push button, said second magnet means disposed at the other end of said lever, and said spring means engages said lever between the ends thereof and extending parallel to the axis of said push button. 3. The push button switch, as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said magnet means is a permanent magnet and the other is an iron plate, said operating member is a lever pivotally mounted crosswise to the axis of said push button, said spring means disposed above the coupling of said contact member to said operating lever,

said means for adjusting said spring means comprising an adjustable screw engaging one end of said spring means, and

abutment means cooperating with said lever for separating said permanent magnet from said iron plate when said push button is moved in a direction away from said lever.

4. The push button switch, as set forth in claim 3,

wherein said abutment means disposed between said lever and said first magnet means for limiting pivoting of said lever beyond a predetermined position toward said push button.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1945 Fetter 200- 67 9/1962 Lucas 2006-7 

